HELP
by DSnKH
Summary: Hutch leaves Bay City without a word to anyone. Why would Hutch leave? When will he be back? Is he in trouble? The only clue is a note he left for Starsky.
1. Late Night Phone Call

The phone rang. Detective David Starsky moaned and rolled over in bed. The clock on the nightstand read 11:30pm. With another moan Starsky reached for the receiver, "ello?"

"Dave?" a female voice asked. Starsky recognized the voice, Hutch's girlfriend _Heather? Hannah? Holly!_

"Holly?"

"Yeah it's me. Um . . . is Hutch there?" Holly sounded concerned.

Starsky sat up in bed, "No, I dropped him off at his place around nine, why?" Starsky didn't like the long pause that answered him.

"Well Hutch and I were going to go out to dinner at 9:30, but he never showed up. I called his apartment but when I didn't get an answer I called you."

Starsky literally jumped out of bed, "Holly why don't you try calling again? If you still don't get an answer call me back, okay?" Holly agreed and hung up.

Starsky went straight for his dresser and grabbed a pair of jeans, and a shirt. He was dressed and pacing when the phone rang. He jerked the phone of the holder, "Holly?" "Still no answer, Dave. Do you think . . ." Starsky didn't hear the rest of the question. He slammed the phone down and ran out the door.

The drive to Hutch's apartment seemed to take forever.

_I'm probably just over reacting. Hutch may have gone out with someone else tonight and just forgot to call Holly._

Starsky's mind went back to the last time his partner had 'forgotten' a date. Hutch had planned a dinner for two and left the dinner to burn. The result of that incident left Hutch pinned under his car for two days.

_But that was a year ago. And I made him promise not to go somewhere to meet a snitch without telling me._

But Hutch hadn't listened the first time Starsky had told him that.

_He had gone to see Mickey. If Dobey hadn't radioed me who knows what could have . . ._

Starsky shook himself mentally. That was all in the past. Hutch had recovered from his addiction and promised not to 'wander off' on his own. But he had wandered that day he went to see Lou. And look how that had turned out.

_God Hutch if you made the same mistake again . . ._

Starsky slammed the police light on the roof and floored it.

The Torino screeched to a halt in front of Venice Place. Starsky ran across the hood of the car, not wanting to waste the extra few seconds he could get. He took the steps two at a time, but stopped short for the landing.

The door to Hutch's apartment was open.

Starsky immediately drew his Beretta. He slowly walked to the open door and peered inside.


	2. The Note

The room was in shambles.

Starsky eased into the room, eyes scanning for movement. He quickly cleared the place. No one was here.

"Hutch?" Starsky knew there wouldn't be an answer but said the name anyway.

The curly haired cop holstered his weapon and reached for the phone. That's when he saw the note.

The words had been hastily scribbled, but Starsky knew that handwriting.

Starsk,

Had to leave

Explain Later

Please don't look

for me

Hutch

Starsky picked up the note and read it again. '_Please don't look for me' Don't look for you? When your apartment looks like this?! Damn it Hutch . . ._

"Who is this!?"

Starsky jumped from the shout and realized he'd called Dobey. "Yeah Cap, it's Starsky."

"Starsky? Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

"Cap, something happened to Hutch."

"Starsky it's five minutes after midnight. How can you be sure Hutch isn't home and in bed?"

"I'm standing in his apartment and the place is a war zone. Cap, Hutch is gone."

Starsky watched the lab crew dust for prints. He knew something was wrong. Hutch would never just up and leave without telling someone where he was going.

_He would have called me. He always calls me._

But he hadn't.

Starsk had argued with Dobey for some time before the police captain had agreed to come see the state of Hutch's apartment. Upon entering the still open door and seeing Starsky standing alone in the middle of it, Dobey called for a lab crew to process the scene.

The captain was now talking to one of the lab techs who Starsky couldn't remember the name of when the phone rang.

Everyone froze.

Starsky reached for the phone and held it to his ear, "Hello?"

"Starsk?"

Starsky heaved a grateful sigh, "Damn it Blondie where the hell are you?"

"Starsk, I can't talk for long. I figured you found my note. Stick by it. I've gotta go."

And with that the line went dead.

"Well Starsky, where the hell is your partner?"

Starsky looked up at his captain, "He didn't say. He just said to stick by his note."

**In a small house outside Bay City**

The light in the room was dim, but then most basements are. The room was void of furniture save a single wooden chair in the middle of the empty space.

"Well done, Mr. Hutchinson. You had me convinced."

Ken Hutchinson turned to face the direction of the voice.

_Its dark enough in here already, is the blindfold really necessary?_

"Now what?" another voice somewhere behind him asked.

"Now we wait."

A hand tangled into Hutch's hair and a hard jerk forced his head back. "Our buddy Mark's gonna pay your partner a visit to make sure he doesn't plan on lookin' for ya. If he ain't you get ta live a few more days while we travel across the state to go see our boss. But if your pal tries to look for you," His captor got closer, his face inches from Hutch's ear as he whispered the last four words,

"Kiss your life goodbye."


End file.
